American soccer players abroad: Oguchi Onyewu 2 goals, DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson one apiece

GOALKEEPERS

Tim Howard 90 minutes in Everton’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Fulham

Brad Friedel in 18, didn’t play in Spurs’ 1-0 FA Cup win at Watford

Brad Guzan in 18, didn’t play in Aston Villa’s 3-2 FA Cup loss at Arsenal

Marcus Hahnemann in 18, didn’t play for Everton

David Yelldell in 18, didn’t play in Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-1 draw at Bremen

Quentin Westberg not in 18 for Evian’s 0-0 draw wtih Bordeaux

Dom Cervi not in 18 for Celtic’s 3-1 League Cup win at Falkirk

Luis Robles and Karlsruhe on winter break

Diego Restrepo and Tachira didn’t play

Cody Cropper (injured) and Ipswich Town didn’t play

Josh Wicks and Mariehamn on winter break

Joe Bendik and Sogndal on winter break

Samir Badr signed with Haras El-Hadood (Egypt) last week

For defenders, midfielders and forwards.....

DEFENDERS

Carlos Bocanegra 90 in Rangers’ 4-0 win over Hibernian

Oguchi Onyewu 90 (two goals) in Sporting Lisbon’s 2-0 win over Beira-Mar

Steve Cherundolo 90 in Hanover’s 1-0 win over Nuremberg

Clarence Goodson and Brondby on winter break

Timothy Chandler not in 18 (injured) for Nuremberg

Zak Whitbread 90 in Norwich’s 2-1 FA Cup win at West Brom

Jonathan Spector 90 in Birmingham’s 4-0 FA Cup win at Sheffield United

Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland on winter break

Eric Lichaj in 18, didn’t play for Aston Villa

Michael Orozco Fiscal 90 in San Luis’ 3-1 loss to America

Jonathan Bornstein in 18, didn’t play in Tigres’ 2-1 win over Tecos

Daniel Potts and West Ham didn’t play

George John and West Ham didn’t play

Edgar Castillo 90 in Tijuana’s 3-1 loss to Santos Laguna

Greg Garza not in 18 for Tijuana

Alfredo Morales in 18, didn’t play in Hertha Berlin’s 2-1 loss to Hamburg

Frank Simek 90 in Carlisle’s 4-0 loss at Hartlepool

Alejandro Melean in 18, didn’t play in Oriente Petrolero’s 2-1 loss at Mamore

Brad Rusin and Koge on winter break

Sean Cunningham and Molde on winter break

Ryan Miller and Halmstad on winter break

Mason Trafford and Mariehamn on winter break

Tim Ream transfer completed to Bolton from New York Red Bulls

MIDFIELDERS

Clint Dempsey 90 for Fulham

Landon Donovan 90 (two assists, video) for Everton

Michael Bradley 74 in Chievo’s 3-0 loss to Lazio

Maurice Edu 74 for Rangers

Jermaine Jones not in 18 (suspended) for Schalke’s 4-1 win at Cologne

Stuart Holden not in 18 (injury recovery) for Bolton’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Swansea

Jose Torres 90 in Pachuca’s 1-1 draw with Queretaro

Sacha Kljestan 76 in Anderlecht’s 0-0 draw at Beerschot

DaMarcus Beasley 80 (goal video at 2:05 mark) in Puebla’s 1-0 win at Jaguares

Fabian Johnson 77 (goal video at 3:30 mark) in Hoffenheim’s 3-1 loss at Dortmund

Daniel Williams 90 for Hoffenheim

Robbie Rogers and Leeds didn’t play

Alejandro Bedoya not in 18 for Rangers

Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt on winter break

Mikkel Diskerud and Stabaek on winter break

Chris Rolfe and Aalborg on winter break

Anton Peterlin and Walsall didn’t play

Sonny Guadarrama in 18, didn’t play in Atlante’s 2-2 draw with Cruz Azul

Conor O’Brien and Sonderjyske on winter break

Brian Span and Djurgarden on winter break

FORWARDS

Jozy Altidore last 45 in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-0 loss at Roda

Edson Buddle and Ingolstadt on winter break

Herculez Gomez in 18, didn’t play for Santos Laguna

Robbie Findley and Nottingham Forest didn’t play

Charlie Davies not in 18 for Sochaux’s 1-1 draw at Lorient

Joe Corona last 61 for Tijuana

Josh Gatt and Molde on winter break

Matt Taylor and Paderborn on winter break

Conor Doyle in 18, didn’t play in Derby’s 2-0 FA Cup loss to Stoke

Mike Grella not in 16 for Brentford’s 5-2 win over Wycombe

Terrence Boyd not in 18 for Borussia Dortmund

Jeff Cunningham 79 in Comunicaciones’ 2-0 loss to Municipal

Joseph Gyau in 18, didn’t play for Hoffenheim

Bobby Wood and 1860 Munich on winter break

Eugene Starikov and Zenit St. Petersburg on winter break

Samuel Petrone and Mjallby on winter break

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American soccer players abroad: Clint Dempsey hat trick, Maurice Edu goal

GOALKEEPERS

Tim Howard 90 minutes in Everton’s 1-1 draw with Blackburn

Brad Friedel 90 in Spurs’ 3-2 loss at Manchester City

Brad Guzan in 18, didn’t play in Aston Villa’s 3-2 win at Wolves

Marcus Hahnemann not in 18 for Everton

David Yelldell in 18, didn’t play in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-2 win over Mainz

Quentin Westberg in 18, didn’t play in Evian’s 2-0 French Cup win at Valence

Dom Cervi not in 18 for Celtic’s 2-0 win at St. Mirren

Luis Robles and Karlsruhe on winter break

Diego Restrepo in 18, didn’t play in Tachira’s 3-3 draw with Petare

Cody Cropper not in 16 for Ipswich Town’s 3-1 loss at Leeds

Josh Wicks and Mariehamn on winter break

Joe Bendik and Sogndal on winter break

For defenders, midfielders and forwards.....

DEFENDERS

Carlos Bocanegra 90 in Rangers’ 1-1 win over Aberdeen

Oguchi Onyewu and Sporting Lisbon at Olhanense on Monday

Steve Cherundolo 90 in Hanover’s 0-0 draw at Hoffenheim

Clarence Goodson and Brondby on winter break

Timothy Chandler not in 18 (suspended) for Nuremberg’s 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin

Zak Whitbread 90 in Norwich’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea

Jonathan Spector 90 in Birmingham’s 3-0 win over Watford

Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland on winter break (played 90 for USA vs. Venezuela)

Eric Lichaj not in 18 for Aston Villa

Michael Orozco Fiscal 90 in San Luis’ 2-0 loss at Morelia

Jonathan Bornstein in 18, didn’t play in Tigres’ 2-1 loss at Toluca

Daniel Potts not in 16 for West Ham’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest

George John not in 16 for West Ham (fitness issues after long layoff)

Edgar Castillo 90 in Tijuana’s 2-0 win at Chivas

Greg Garza not in 18 for Tijuana

Alfredo Morales in 18, didn’t play for Hertha Berlin

Frank Simek 90 in Carlisle’s 1-1 draw with Walsall

Alejandro Melean and Oriente Petrolero on winter break

Brad Rusin and Koge on winter break

Sean Cunningham and Molde on winter break

Ryan Miller and Halmstad on winter break

Mason Trafford and Mariehamn on winter break

MIDFIELDERS

Clint Dempsey 89 (hat trick) in Fulham’s 5-2 win over Newcastle

Landon Donovan 90 for Everton

Michael Bradley 90 in Chievo’s 2-2 draw at Lecce

Maurice Edu 90 (goal) for Rangers

Jermaine Jones not in 18 (suspended) for Schalke’s 3-1 win over Stuttgart (played 90 and assisted on goal for USA vs. Venezuela)

Stuart Holden not in 18 (injury recovery) for Bolton’s 3-1 win over Liverpool

Jose Torres 90 in Pachuca’s 1-1 draw at Cruz Azul

Sacha Kljestan 90 in Anderlecht’s 1-0 win at Kortrijk

DaMarcus Beasley 90 in Puebla’s 2-1 loss to Atlante

Fabian Johnson 24 for Hoffenheim

Daniel Williams 90 for Hoffenheim

Robbie Rogers not in 16 for Leeds

Alejandro Bedoya in 18, didn’t play for Rangers

Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt on winter break (played 28 and scored for USA)

Mikkel Diskerud and Stabaek on winter break

Chris Rolfe and Aalborg on winter break

Anton Peterlin 71 for Walsall

Sonny Guadarrama not in 18 for Atlante

Conor O’Brien and Sonderjyske on winter break

Brian Span and Djurgarden on winter break

FORWARDS

Jozy Altidore 17 in AZ Alkmaar’s 1-1 draw with Ajax

Edson Buddle and Ingolstadt on winter break

Herculez Gomez 15 in Santos Laguna’s 1-0 win over Jaguares

Robbie Findley not in 16 for Nottingham Forest

Charlie Davies and Sochaux didn’t play

Joe Corona not in 18 for Tijuana

Josh Gatt and Molde on winter break

Matt Taylor and Paderborn on winter break

Conor Doyle not in 16 for Derby’s 0-0 draw at Burnley

Mike Grella not in 16 for Brentford’s 3-2 loss at Huddersfield

Terrence Boyd not in 18 for Borussia Dortmund’s 5-1 win at Hamburg

Bobby Wood and 1860 Munich on winter break

Eugene Starikov and Zenit St. Petersburg on winter break

Samuel Petrone and Mjallby on winter break

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WPS shutdown might mark the end of U.S. women’s pro soccer efforts

Well, it happened again: Just as American women’s soccer was enjoying the limelight, it was jolted by another major setback on the professional front.

In the fall of 2003, with the Women’s World Cup weeks away, Mia Hamm and the sport’s greatest generation were sidelined by the demise of the three-year-old Women’s United Soccer Association. On Monday, the day after the U.S. national team celebrated an Olympic berth by hammering Canada by four goals in the CONCACAF regional final in Vancouver, Women’s Professional Soccer announced it was suspending operations after three seasons.

Two strikes and you’re out? Perhaps.

League officials and investors say they will reorganize and hope to relaunch in 2013, but with each failure, the prospects of a top-tier women’s league succeeding in this country dims.

More.....

WPS closed shop less than two months after the U.S. Soccer Federation granted it provisional sanctioning as a Division I pro league. The USSF agreed to it even though the league didn’t meet D-1 standards. The federation was inclined to reject the request, but in the best interests of women’s soccer, threw the league a lifeline. (Without sanctioning, a league doesn’t have access to game officials, among other issues, and imperils the standing of its players.)

So things seemed on course for a five-club league this summer and, under terms of the agreement with the USSF, a six-team circuit in 2013 and eight the following year.

But soon there were signs WPS might not even make it to opening day. The Insider reported last week that several U.S. national team players, including Hope Solo, were not going to play in the league this year. WPS believes it has plenty to offer fans beyond Solo, Abby Wambach and others, but realistically, the foundation of support isn’t strong enough in the league’s fragile development to thrive without marquee American players.

WPS was also hampered by legal action – and the subsequent financial strain – brought by Dan Borislow, the notorious MagicJack boss, who went to court after being booted from the league last season for violating terms of ownership.

“I’ve only been onboard for four months, and the bulk of my time has been spent on addressing a lot of these other negative issues regarding termination of MagicJack and the sanctioning issue with U.S. Soccer and resulting issues with sponsors and such,” WPS chief executive Jennifer O’Sullivan said during a media conference call Monday afternoon.

“It is unfortunate that the attention and focus that needed to be on the business, growing the business and developing the game and the sport just hasn’t been able to be there. Until this [MagicJack] situation is resolved, I don’t believe we can fully put our attention to it. It would’ve been unfair to put together a season while we would’ve still had this hanging over our heads.”

Even without the Borislow distraction, one has to wonder about the lasting power of women’s pro soccer. In the big picture, women’s soccer is still an “Olympic sport” – meaning it captures the attention of the general public every few years for major international competition (in this case, the Olympics and World Cup).

It’s the same for Olympic swimming and speed skating: The public cares very deeply and genuinely when national pride and gold medals are at stake but otherwise isn’t captivated. Wambach and Solo, meet Michael Phelps and Apolo Anton Ohno.

America celebrates her Olympians, and the absence of an affiliation with a pro team or league doesn’t diminish their accomplishments. Solo and Wambach are as popular (more popular?) in this country as Landon Donovan, who performed World Cup heroics and has won four domestic pro league titles in MLS. Clint Dempsey is American soccer’s most accomplished export, scoring goals regularly for Fulham in the English Premier League, but he only wishes he were as well-known here as overseas in order to secure an invitation to “Dancing With the Stars.” (No, not really. He’s couldn’t care less. But you get the point.)

On a daily-weekly-monthly basis, women’s soccer struggles to find an audience and sustain a business. To repeat, this is not a reflection upon the individual players, who are some of the most committed, caring and community-oriented athletes I’ve ever covered. It’s more a reflection of women’s soccer’s inability to bust out of the “Olympic sport” genre.

So what happens now? It’s unclear where the U.S. national team players will land this spring. Most are under contract with the USSF and could enter into long-term residency of sorts to gear up for the Olympics. Some could head to Europe. Some might play for Borislow’s barnstorming team in Florida. When asked if that were in the works, he told me: “I don’t want to speak for any of the players. Getting [t]hem happy and to the Olympics should be all of our goals.”

Said USSF President Sunil Gulati: “We have had discussions with the [U.S.] coaching staff and will be increasing our programming over the next six months.”

A gold medal would help the WPS’s cause in attracting new sponsors and investors for 2013 – or so the theory goes. After all, the buzz created by last year’s Women’s World Cup in Germany offered only short-term dividends.

So after watching franchises in Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago and the Bay Area fold within two years, the Washington Freedom move to Florida and MagicJack implode, it’s unclear whether Solo, Wambach and Co. will have the opportunity to perform in a top-level U.S. league ever again.

While that would be disappointing to aspiring players and American soccer in general, it reinforces the fact that pro sports are a business, not a cause. And if the business isn’t working, the cause will suffer.

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U.S. women’s soccer team crushes Dominican Republic, 14-0, in Olympic qualifier

We’ve got the video highlights from the U.S. women’s national soccer team’s record-setting 14-0 victory (the extra point attempts were good) over the Dominican Republic on Friday night in the Americans’ opener at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Vancouver.

The result was marred by an apparent serious knee injury to right back Ali Krieger, who was to undergo further testing Saturday. The initial diagnosis, I’m told, is a partially torn MCL but no major damage to the ACL. If that turns out to be true, she would be sidelined for weeks rather than the many months required for an ACL to heal.

The shot totals were 49-3. Unlike most sports, you can’t pull your starters off the field during a one-sided match: three substitutions, that’s it. The Americans will face another weak side, Guatemala, on Sunday evening before wrapping up group play Tuesday against a formidable Mexican team.

Top five goals from the match:

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